Impairment of short-term memory associated with low iron stores in a volunteer multidose plateletpheresis donor.
A platelet donor may lose 80-100 mL of blood both in the harness and by blood sampling at each donation, the equivalent of four to five whole blood donations per annum for a donor attending at 2-weekly intervals. A 54-year-old male multidose platelet donor had donated platelets at regular 2-weekly intervals for 6 years. He developed an impairment of anterograde memory (new learning). A self-rating scale revealed a moderate degree of depression [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score 22]. Memory testing (Doors and People Memory Battery) showed low scores, particularly for verbal recall and verbal recognition memory. He was found to have a normal haemoglobin of 157 g L(-1) with normal red blood cell indices, but a low serum ferritin (15 ng mL(-1)) and a low serum iron (8.1 mmol L(-1)). Following iron therapy and a return of his iron stores to normal levels, there was an improved BDI score of 13 (minimal level of depression) and a marked improvement in memory test scores. This has been maintained even though he has resumed platelet donation but at reduced intervals.
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National Blood Service, Tooting, London, UK. lizanne.page@nbs.nhs.uk
Harrison
J F
JF
Jaldow
E J
EJ
Kopelman
M
M
D001782:Blood Donors; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005293:Ferritins / Q000172:deficiency; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D010983:Plateletpheresis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D014706:Verbal Learning; D014838:Volunteers
D005296:Ferrous Compounds; C020748:ferrous sulfate; D005293:Ferritins